BUHLER - There's no doubt that the state track and field meet is the biggest meet of the season for any team.

Vance Janak - The Hutchinson News - vjanak@hutchnews.com

Wednesday

May 21, 2008 at 12:01 AMMay 21, 2008 at 6:00 PM

While Buhler coach Willie Adkins knows the importance of the Class 4A state meet, he said the goal will still be the same Friday and Saturday at Cessna Stadium in Wichita.

"Our main function is to do the best we can and be prepared to do the best we can," Adkins said of the Crusaders who send nine individuals and four relay teams to the state meet.

Leading the charge for the Buhler girls is junior Tanya Friesen, who will compete in three events. Friesen is the defending triple jump champion (37-1 feet) and also finished fifth in the high jump and the triple jump at last year's meet.

"It'll be really hard to defend that championship because I've seen some awesome jumpers this year," Friesen said. "I'm almost the most excited for the long jump because I've definitely improved in that."

Friesen is seeded second in the triple jump and third in the long jump.

Junior Morgan Armbruster heads back to state in the 100- and 200-meter dashes after failing to advance to the finals in those events last year.

Armbruster, who is seeded fifth in the 200 and sixth in the 100, said she will use what she learned from last year's meet to help her accomplish her goal of making the finals this year.

"Just going into it and knowing what it's like and having an idea of what it feels like, what it looks like; it makes it a little bit easier to adjust to it," Armbruster said.

Senior Katie Gillmore returns to state in the pole vault after finishing fifth in the event last year. Gillmore has cleared a personal-best 10-8 this season.

"She's our school record holder and she keeps on moving it up," Adkins said. "So she knows what it takes."

Sophomore Shelby Nelson will compete in the 800, and Buhler all three of its relays.

On the boys side, senior Devin Dick will compete in the long jump, 110-meter hurdles and thpole vault. Dick finished fifth in the 110 hurdles and seventh in the long jump last year.

"One of my main goals is to get better," Dick said. "I want to improve on those finishes and stand a little higher on the podium."

Dick is seeded fifth in the 110 hurdles, sixth in the pole vault and eighth in the long jump. Adkins said this is the latest in the season that Dick has vaulted for the Crusaders.

"He's kind of in a position where he's able to do many events so we have to kind of narrow his focus down," Adkins said. "This year, pole vault won out."

Senior Ben Appel qualified in the 3,200, and classmate Sam Nelson qualified in the shot put after a season-best throw of 51-7 feet at regionals. Senior Brendan Martinez goes to state in the 110-meter hurdles while junior Ethan Mandeville will compete in the long jump.

The state meet will be the final competition for a senior group that Adkins have had a "huge impact on our program.

"They lead us every day and just their influences every year as they've been here; I don't know how we can quantify that because of their legacy and hard work," Adkins said.

"I told the kids and they agreed with me that we're going to go into this weekend with the goal of getting into finals and be one of those final eight," Trinity coach Jan Frieb said. "They are all striving for the top seven to try to get a medal."

Junior Ryan Mesh will compete in the 110 hurdles and the triple jump. Joe Oberle will race in the 100, while Dominic Suter will compete in the 800.

On the girls side, junior Megan Biel will compete in the 3,200, while freshman Brittany Garcia will take part in the 1,600. Senior Debbie Ohl qualified in the javelin.

Frieb said qualifying eight of 19 Celtic athletes is a nice boost for the program.

"The kids have been very excited," Frieb said. "They've really done a nice job. We're optimistic. It helps the program and it should hopefully help get more kids out."

l Haven - The Haven boys qualified its 3,200 relay after winning the event at the Colby regional.

Emily Ostlund qualified in the discus and javelin. Ostlund won the 3A javelin gold last season.

l Pretty Prairie - Jenny Welker turned in the fastest 2A regional times in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. She's a defending champion in the 300 hurdles.

In field events, Keith Zerger will compete in the pole vault, Carly Cramton in the discus and Andrea Markel in the javelin.

l Fairfield - Elizabeth Reifschneider qualified to compete in the 1,600 and 3,200 in Class 2A.

l Central Christian - Calen Dunn, who was among the area leaders in the javelin during the regular season, has qualified to compete in the 1A discus and javelin.

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